Case Studies

Soil Moisture Sensor (SMRT-Y) Launch

Client Brief

Underground irrigation systems linked to a standard controller water a lawn whether the soil is wet or dry, leaving many homeowners to wonder, “Am I giving my lawn too much – or not enough – water?” Rain Bird, the nation’s leading provider of smart irrigation solutions, wanted to take the guesswork out of watering, so it developed the SMRT-Y Soil Moisture Sensor. The SMRT-Y measures actual water content of the soil and reports back to the controller in real time, watering the lawn only when it needs it, and suspending watering when it doesn’t. Rain Bird challenged Heinzeroth to develop an integrated marketing campaign to launch this innovative product to contractors and specifiers.

Strategy

The goal was to convince irrigation contractors and architectural specifiers that Rain Bird’s new soil moisture sensor does a better job of regulating irrigation schedules than traditional accessories such as a rain shut-off sensor. Because standard time-oriented controllers are wasteful and do not always provide the right amount of irrigation for a healthy lawn, key messages focused on potential water savings of 30% or more, a more attractive lawn, and environmental sensitivity – and how those benefits greatly outweigh the added time and cost of adding the SMRT-Y to any installation.

Tactics

To support this important product introduction, Heinzeroth developed an integrated program that incorporated multiple digital and print components, including a micro site, interactive Flash demo, brochure, tech spec sheet and wiring diagram. Heinzeroth ensured that all components of the launch plan positioned Rain Bird as the industry leader in the moisture sensor market segment.

Results

Rain Bird reported a successful launch with an immediate and sustained interest from irrigation contractors and specifiers. The client was pleased with the user-friendliness of the online animated Flash demo and the overall communication strategy that clearly outlined the product advantages while explaining the ease of installation.

This is a unique website which will require a more modern browser to work! Please upgrade today!